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Representing the 5th District of Illinois

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Quigley Announces Quiet Skies Caucus to Combat Aircraft Noise

Oct 2, 2014

Press Release

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) announced the creation of the Quiet Skies Caucus in Congress, which will raise awareness on the issue of aircraft noise and work to find meaningful solutions to the problem. The caucus consists of members from across the country whose constituents are adversely affected by incidents of airplane and helicopter noise.

“My constituents back home in Chicago are facing unprecedented noise pollution that is eroding their quality of life and impacting their health,” said Rep. Quigley. “While I’ve worked on a local level to solve this problem, I’m proud to join with colleagues from around the country to create the Quiet Skies Caucus and address this important issue on a national level. Working closely to share information, discuss ideas and develop feasible solutions, I believe together we can help mitigate the noise that is disrupting our communities.”

O’Hare International Airport became a part of Illinois’ 5th Congressional District in January 2013. Since then, Rep. Quigley has met continuously with neighborhood organizations and aviation officials to discuss solutions to increased noise pollution resulting from the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP). Most recently, Rep. Quigley urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct new public hearings and issue a new environmental impact study (EIS) of the OMP in response to questions raised over the hearing process and noise levels that exceeded expectations. He also called on the FAA to change the outdated noise metric that could allow more homeowners and businesses to qualify for soundproofing programs.

Rep. Quigley serves on the House Committee on Appropriations, where he has made Chicago-area infrastructure investment a top priority as a member of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD).